Ximprovement i in processes of coloring tobacco



UNITED STATES PATENT Osman OSCAR KNAB, OF NE WARK, NEW JERSEY.

{IMPROVEMENT m PROCESSES OF coLoRine TOBACCO.

Specification formirg part of Letters Patent No.l59.l02, dated January 26,1875; application filed December 12, 1874.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, OSCARKNAB, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved the drying-of the same for market, is revivified or resuscitated in a simple, cheap, and efficacious manner. The invehtion consists in passing the moistened andsofte'ned leaves in whole bunches through a solution of ,s'csquichloride of iron in water in suitable propor; tions, and work it oil in the wrappers in the usual manner. The sesquichloride ofiron (liquor ferri sresquichlorate) is obtained in liquid state and disof the same'to one liter of water. The bunches of tobacco-leaves, especially those of lighter yellowish and bleached color are passed through this solution and soaked therein after having been moistened and softened for twenty-four hours, so that the solution is more ready to act on all the parts of the leaves.

solved in water by adding about ten grams The chemical compounds of nicotine andtannin, which are contained in a greater or-lesser proportion in all tobaccos, enter, by their affinity with the sesquichloride of iron, in com-- moi"t state forbination therewith, and impart thereby adark permanent color to. the leaves without the least taste, smell, or other deleterious influence thereon; producing, 011- the contrary, a

more pliable leaf anda better burning of the same when workedupt The bunches are then hung up till the surplus solution has dripped-off, and are, when in suflieient moist state, wrapped upinto bundles and be marked off for wrapppcrs and into cigars in'the usualmanner.

The assorting of the'cigars is. greatly sim plified, as, by theuniformity of colorilnp'arted to the leaves, a considerably-reduced 'num ber ofclasses is obtained The cost ot'the solution is small iii-comparison 'to the greater number ofadditional leaves made available for wrappers, which leaves had to be used here-i toiore to a greater or lesser extent for fillers, Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and ent I The process herein-described of treating tobacco-leaves for imparting or restoring adark color of the same, consisting inpassing 'the leaves, in a soft and moistened state, 1; ough a solution of sesquichloride of iron; sn stair- .tia1ly as herein set forth.

OSCAR KNAB. Witnesses:

' PAUL GOE'PEL,

Tnnooonn GORLAGH.

desire to secure by Letters Pat-' 

